Process of and apparatus for drying and treating materials



@c&. 30, 1923.

PROCESS OF A Filed April 27 1918 3 Sheets-$heet I ATTORNEYS P. W. WEBSTER PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND TREATING MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27 1918 ATTORNEYS @c&. 30, 1923. 1,472,314

P. w. WEBSTER PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND TREATING MATERIALS Filed April 27, 1918 s Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS Pus ed Oct. 30, 1923.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

I PAUL W. WEBSTER, 0F PEL HAM MANOR, YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 PERRY-& WEBSTER INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

A PROCESS OF APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND TREATING MATERIALS.

Application filed April 27, 1918. Serial No. 231,082.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL W. WEBSTER, of Pelham Manor, in the county of Westchester and in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improve 'ment in Processes of and Apparatus for Drying and Treating Materials, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, 7 clear, and exact description thereof. The object of my invention has been to provide a process of and apparatus for dry ing, cooling, heating, conditionin or treat-' ing substances of a more or less so id nature, such as seeds, grains, chips, kernels, crystals, etc, which process shall be efiicient and economical and easily controllable, andwhich apparatus shall be simple and comparatively cheap in construction and operation.

To such ends, my invention consists in the process of and apparatus for drying and treating materials hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of one form of apparatus embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale, partially broken away,- of a support in Figure 1; 1

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of Figure 1; I

Figure 4 is a similar view of another form of apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional View of the air heater taken on the line 5'5 of Fig. 1.

In the art'prior to my invention, material such as my invention contemplates handling has been dried and treated in one of two ways. First, the material has been treated in a stationary condition in the apparatus, and the currents of air have flowed over the I surface of the material. In this class of apparatus, the extent of surface exposed to the air has been small compared With bulk of material, and moisture to be carried off has had to travel through the mass of thematerial to the exposed surface before it could be taken up by the currents of air. This is a slow and inefficient manner of treatment. In the second class of apparatus'of the prior art, the material to be treated has been moved or stirred or changed, either by mechanical means or by gravity,'so asv to constantly expose fresh surfaces to the drying or treating medium. Here, although the material making up the exposedsurface has been constantly changed, the time of exposure of the particles making up that surface has been correspondingly shortened, so

that most of the time any glven particle has been buried within the mass-and its moisture, min the first class of. apparatus has had'to travel through the mass of material to reach the drying or treating medium.

I have sought to invent a process and an apparatus for the practice of that process which should greatly reduce the time necessary for drying or treating the entire massas compared with either of the classes of a I paratus of the prior art, and which shou d also have other advantages.

My rocess is capable of practice in many different-ways and the invention of my apparatus is capable of embodiment in man different forms. and, while I shall illustrate them by the use of apparatuses which are among the-best forms with which I am familian such forms are to be taken as typical only of many possible embodiments of my invention, and my invention is not to be limited thereto.

Referring'to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of.the drawings, I have provided a drier, consisting of an inner casing 1, having a hopper 2 that is adapted to receivethe material to be per from a supply conveyor 3 by an elevator 4. A feed gate 5 permits the material to dried. The material may be fed to the hopmaterial resting on the cover plate. The air, as will be explained, is'made to pulsate, so that the material is constantl lifted or lightened from the support an tends to.

flow down the incline of the support, the pulsating air not only serving to move the material, but to dry it or condition it at the same time.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the supports consist of rectangular frames made of channel irons 7, the frame being closed on top by the perforated cover 8 and on the bottom by the imperforate plate 9. A slide 10 is preferably provided in the bottom for purposes of cleaning.

To prevent the material from escaping ofi the side or back edges of the cover 8, side plates or flanges 11 and 11 are secured along the said edges, and these side plates or flanges extend along the front or lower edge of the cover plate at 12 a short distance from the sides to prevent the material from falling ofi' laterally, and cause it to fall upon the next lower support 6.

An apron 13 is secured to the wall of the inner casing 1 and hangs over the edge plate or flange 11 at the back of the perforated cover to prevent material falling oven behind the same.

I desire to provide means so that the perforated covers of the supports can be ad justed about a horizontal axis, either into a horizontal or an inclined position. The

support 6 is, accordingly, mounted upon' trunnions 14 and 15, trunnion 14 being hollow to admit compressed air, and trunnion 15 being secured to the wall of the inner casing 1. The lower front edge of the support 6 is held at its opposite corners b wire cables 16, each of which passes throng an eye-bolt 17, or other form of support on the inner casing, and through a pipe 18, and then passes through the wall of the outer casin 19. The free end of the wire cable is he (1 in an adjustable clamp 20, the ad justment of which determines the degree of longitudinal inclination of the support.

he material escaping off the lowermost support 6 is shown as falling into a hopper 21 and upon a conveyor 22, being controlled by a gate 23.

The air for the support 6 is compressed by any suitable medium, such as a compressor 24, and passes through 'a valve 25 provided with any suitable operating means shown diagrammatically at 25* to operate the valve intermittently and thus give pulsations to the compressed air. The air leav in the said valve passes through heating colls 26, and then to a manifold 27 from which it is distributed by valves 28 and 28 to pipes connected with the hollow trunnions of the various supports 6.

I also preferably provide the com ressor with a bypass 25 around the pu sating valve 25, so that there is, in efiect,'a constant stream of air at a uniform pressure and pulsations superposed thereon. A valve 25 is provided in b pass 25 to regulate the volume of air owing through the bypass. My invention, however, also contemplates the use of a single current of air, all of which pulsates.

A furnace 30 heats an air heater 3 1, so that air entering through a duct 32 passes around flues 33 and is heated. Such air, going by a duct 34 to the bottom of the inner casing, passes upward by a Zig-Zag course, so that it passes over and in contact with the material on each support 6, and also passes through the stream of material falling from each of such supports to the support below it. Gases of combustion travel by a flue 35 to the space 36 between the inner casing 1 and the outer casing 19, and both the air within the inner casing and the gases of combustion within the outer casing escapeby a stack 37 In the operation of my apparatus as just described and in accordance with my said process, the material to be dried or treated falls from the hopper upon the uppermost support 6, and the air from within the support escapes under suitable pressure and in suitable quantity through the perforations .of the top and through and between the parinstead of, as heretofore, having only a small portion of the material undergoing any substantial drying at any given time.

'2. The pulsations lift the material and, by regulation of the time interval and the strength of the pulsations, the material may be kept in an intermittent or constant-state of agitation, or, if desired, almost suspended in the drying medium.

3 The pulsatin action causes the materlal to flow over t e surface of the support. If the support be level, the flow will be equal in all directions. If the support is tilted, the material will flow down the inclination. By regulating the pulsations and the inclinatlon, the material can be made to flow slowly or rapidly, as desired.

i. The depth of the material on the support varies with the conditions of air prespassing through the perforations of such supports at pressures sufficient to 11ft the materials,

sures, the angle at which the support is tilted, with the rate of feed from the hopper, and with the degree of rapidity of pulsations, and, consequently, the depth can be made to be whatever is most desirable.

Air of various degrees 'of moisture, as well as temperature, may, to advantage, be admitted to the supports and the inner casing, so that any degree of drying, heating, cooling an to the material, either as a whole or in part, and successively or in any sequence desired.

Gases other than air may be used in my apparatus to brin about chemical changes and reactions in the material being treated. The term air in my claims is to be broadly construed to include not only air but gases or vapors of any nature used in the treatment of the materials.

By the use of my process-and apparatus, such rapid evaporation of the moisture in the material being dried can be produced that a consequent cooling of the material is effected, so that it will stand a higher temperature in the drying medium than would otherwise be possible, thus increasing the capacity for the material being treated and the rate of moisture abstraction and absorp tion, and ermi-tting the use of temperatures which un er other conditions would impair the product Another embodiment of my invention is shown in Figure 4, in which a series of sup ports 38 are shown, which supports are like the supports 6, and are arranged like a flight of steps. A hopper 39 (fed by an elevator 40) supplies the material to the uppermost support 38. The air from the compressor and pulsating valve is supplied to the supports by a manifold 41, connected by pipes 42 with the support, each pipe42 having a valve 42. Heated air is admitted through a passage 43 and passes over the surface of the material, and the hot gases of combustion pass through a flue 44, and thus serve to insulate and heat the air in the pas sage 43.

I claim:

1. The process of treating materials which comprises placing them upon the uppermost support of a plurality of inclined perforated supports disposed one beneath the other, and currents of air intermittently whereby the materials will fall progressively to the lower support. 7

2. The process of treating materials comprising p-lacing said materials on a perforated suppont and intermittently forcing air through said perforations and material under sufficient pressure to lift said materials from approximately the entire area of the support. Y I

3. The process of treating materials which ous conditioning may be applied comprises placing them upon a perforated support, paming a current of air continuy upwardly through the perforations, and intermittently varying the pressure of such air current to lift the materials from the su port.

4. T e process of treating materials which comprises placing them upon a perforated support, passing a current of air continuously through the perforations, and intermittently increasing the pressure of such air current to lift the materials from the support.

5. The process of treating materials which comprises placing said materials on a stationary perforated inclined sup rt, and moving the materials laterally of the support to fall by gravity therefrom by passing a current of air "through said perforations at a pressure sufficient to lift the materials.

6. The process of treating materials comprising placing said materials on a perforated support, forcing air through said perfOI'flJlBlOIlS and material under suflicient pressure to lift said material from approximately the entire area of .the support, and

passing a current of air over the surface of rent of air over the surface of said materials.

8. The process of treating materials which comprises placing them upon a perforated support, passing a current of air continuously upwardly through the perforations,

1ntermittently varying the pressure of such air current to lift the material from the support, and passing a current of air over the surface of said materials.

9. The process of treating materials which comprises placing them upon a perforated support, passing a current of air continuously through the perforations, intermittently increasing the pressure of such air current to lift the materials from the support, and passing a current of air over the surface of said materials.

10. The process of treating materials com prising placing them upon a perforated support that is inclined and advancing materials across the support by forcing air intermittently through said perforations at a pressure sufficient to lift said materials.

11. The process of treating materials comprising placing them upon a perforated support that is inclined, intermittently forcing air through said perforations at a pressure sufficient to lift said materials.

12. The process of treating materials comprising placing them upon an inclined percomprisin placing them upon a perforated passing a current support tiat is inclined, forcing air intermittently through said perforations at a pressure sufiicient to lift said materials, and of air over the surface of said materials.

14. The process of treating materials comprisin placing them upon a perforated support that is inclined, intermittently forcing air through said perforations'at a pressure sufiicient to lift said materials, and passing a current of air over the surface of said materials.

15. The process of treating materials comprising placing them upon an inclined perforated support, forcing air through said perforations and said materials at pressures varying between a pressure that lifts the material and a pressure that does not lift the material, and passing a current of air over the surface of said materials.

16. An apparatus for treating materials comprising an inclined perforated support and means for forcing air at periodically varying pressures through said perforations.

17. An apparatus for treating materials comprising an inclined perforated support, means for forcing air under pressure through said perforations upwardly to lift the material from the support, and means for periodically combining with said air a current of airat higher pressure.

18. An apparatus for treating materials comprising a perforated support for the materials to be treated, means for forcing air through said perforations and said materials at a pressure sufficient to lift the materials, and means for passing a current of air over the surface of the material on the said support.

19. An apparatus for treating materials comprising an inclined perforated support, means for forcing air through said perforations upwardly at a pressure sufiicient to lift the materials, and means for passing a current of air over the surface of the material on the said support.

20. An apparatus for treating materials comprising an inclined perforated support, means for forcing. air upwardly at periodically varying pressures through said perforations to lift the materials from the support, and means for passing a current of air over the surface of the material on the said support.

21.An apparatus for treating materials comprising an inclined perforated support, means for forcing air under pressure upwardly through said perforations, and for 22. In an apparatus for treating materials, the combination of a perforated support for the materials, adjustable means for iolding said support at different degrees of inclination, means for forcing air upwardly through said erforations to" lift the materials from tie support, and means for passing a current of air over the surface of the material on the said support.

23. In an apparatus for treating materials, the combination of a series of perforated supports, means for forcing air upwardly through said perforations to lift the materials from the supports, each of said supports being arranged to deliver its material upon a support lower than itself,

' and means for passing a current of air over the surface of the material on'the said supports.

24. In an apparatus for treating materials, the combination of a series of inclined perforated supports, means for forcing air upwardly through said perforations to lift the materials from the supports, the lower end of each support being vertically over the upper end of a lower support, and means for passing a current of air over the surface of the material on the said supports.

25. In an apparatus for treating materials, the combination of a series of perforated supports for the material to be treated, adjustable means for sustaining said supports in inclined positions, the lowerend of each support being over the upper end of a lower support, means for forcing air upwardly through the perforations of said supports to lift the materials, means for causing a current of air to pass over the surface of the materials on said supports, and means for preventing the escape of material from said supports ercept at their lower ends.

26. In an apparatus for treating materials, the combination of a series of illclined perforated supports, the lower end of each support being vertically above the upper end of a lower support, means for preventing the escape of material from the said supports except at their lower ends, means for constantly forcing air upwardly through said perforations, and for intermittently forcing further air upwardiy through said perforations to lift the materials from the supports.

27. In an apparatus for treating materials, the combination of a series of perforated supports for the material to be treated, adjustable means for sustaining said supports in inclined positions, means for preventing the escape of material from air to pass over the surface of the materials; said supports except at their lower ends, the on saidsupports. lower end of each support being over the In testimony that I claim the foregoing- 1? upper end of a lower support, means for have hereunto set my hand.

5 constantly forcing air through the perfora- PAUL W. WEBSTER.

tions of said supports, and for intermittent- Witnesses: 1y forcing further air through said perfora- V. K; BOYNTON}, tions, and means for causing a current of R, S. Penman 

